Forging Ahead: Some Goals for 2014

Now that I’ve gone ahead and taken a look back, it’s “resolution” time.  I hate to call them resolutions because I think then I’m just setting myself up for failure.  I guess that these are more like “goals” I would like to reach and want to build a plan around them to help me get there.  Here are the top 5 for 2014:

“WORK” At My Handicapping.  I know, we all think that we work at it when we sit and break down a race card but the truth is that being successful at this game requires you to have better insight than the people you are wagering against.  Back when I was moderately successful at this, I took notes on races and horses, I kept track of my wins and losses, I broke down the results of races against the past performances to see what it is that I missed.  More often than not, I missed something and documenting that helped keep me from repeating that error.  I’d like to get back to a strike rate of 40% at average odds of 7/2 or better again.

I’m also going to re-sign up for the National Handicapping Championship this season and try and play in an event per month to try and qualify for the 2015 Championships in Las Vegas as well as utilizing my balance at Derby Wars to play in more tournaments as well.  Competition forces you to keep you skills sharp and, let’s face it; I’m a very competitive person anyhow!

Promote TURF.  A few years back we formed a loose group of bloggers with the announced goal of writing about and promoting our sport of horse racing.  Some of the best bloggers in North America became part of TURF and I’ve decided to take that on for 2014; at least try and promote members blogs on our Facebook page (Turf Bloggers) and Twitter (@turfbloggers) account.  I’ll see if I can end up doing more than that, but for now that may have to be enough.

Blog More Often.  This one seems simple enough, but it never seems to work out.  Ted needs to sit his ass down in front of the PC and get it done.  There are going to be a few things I’m going to try this year that are new, like some video pieces such as putting together a video of bringing a horse up to their first ever race that hopefully would be fun and interesting. 

Expand the Club.  Managing the Canterbury Park Racing Club was fun, interesting and rewarding.  We got some nice press through the Paulick Report in the Spring, but I have not seen this concept take off anywhere else.  That strikes me as a gig that could be developed into something nationwide.  I don’t think that Magna Group, NYRA or Churchill Downs Inc. would be interested per se (though they should be) but what about other racetracks around the US like Tampa Bay, Hawthorne, Oaklawn or Turf Paradise?  No one may be interested, but I’m going to give it a try.

Get Organized. My move this past summer left me totally discombobulated. I have files everywhere and paperwork that needs to get into them! I need to take the time it takes to get them set and maintained.  Realistically it only takes a few minutes of extra time a day once I’m set up to do it so I need to remind myself how much easier life is when I’m organized and not procrastinate when it comes to taking those five extra minutes.

Certainly not unattainable goals, I don’t think.  I also want to lose weight, exercise more, expand my partnerships, write better, get the book in my head onto paper and on, and on, and on.  However I think that these five are good and in one way shape or form, interrelated. Being organized affects all the other goals.  Being more active in writing and promoting TURF will help expand my platform and could help open doors to generating more business.  The lifeblood of our sport is the wagering and being better at that aspect can permeate all the others since it would force me to follow racetracks and horses more carefully, record my thoughts and expand the potential pool of subject matter.  It would also keep me from my embarrassing 2013 finishes this year in the Hello Race Fans expert picks!

Best of luck in all your goals for 2014.  I look forward to hearing about yours and sharing with you the progress as this stable turns into the wind and tries to take flight.

 

 

Finding a Race...Or at Least Looking

I’m a bit irritated and, ultimately, it’s my own fault.

Tabby Lane was sidelined a few weeks after she turned an ankle a bit in her last race.  Some R&R and she’s feeling pretty good about life and ready to race again, I just needed to find her a spot.  The problem is that the spots I’d like to go in simply don’t exist.

Ideally I’d like to see her in a $10,000 or $12,500 claiming race.  Those levels appear to be right in her wheelhouse and, while no guarantees, she stands a fair chance at winning.  $16,000 would be a bit more problematical as you’re never sure what you’re getting: real $16,000 horses, $12,000 moving up or a bunch of $25,000 horses dropping in.  As you can imagine, each race can shape up much differently depending upon the entrants.  We won’t get the chance to find out though.

The game plan was to try Tabby at $16,000 and see just how well the old (6 years – no old, but old enough after racing 39 times in 4 years) mare was doing.  If she could handle it, then great, that would work out well as there was another shot at it the last weekend of the meet.  That race didn’t fill, however.  Not even close.  Then our choices became a $7500 claiming race going her preferred distance or a $7500 starter allowance (not up for sale) but only going 6 furlongs .  I opted for the latter.  I lost.

Lest anyone think I’m ripping on Canterbury or the racing secretary for this, I’m not.  You have to write races that will fill with horses.  The last time a straight $16,000 claiming race was written only Tabby and 2 others entered.  This Saturday, six of the eight races are for horses worth $5,000 or less.  The smallest field is eight while one has 10 and a couple of have nine.  I don’t begrudge them writing those races – they fill.  That’s the point of writing the races!  I get that.  However it also means that I need to possibly reevaluate my strategy moving forward.

Claiming around $10,000 and coming up here and racing has resulted in 10 wins over three years with earnings of over $100,000.  Unless the new purse structure attracts better stables and horses then that strategy – at least as racing at Canterbury goes – makes no sense.  It could mean I need to go cheap or go elsewhere.

It could very well be that the lower classes of horses are staying here until the end of the meet because they can’t run for more elsewhere.  That makes sense.  I need to keep an eye on the winter and see what the spring is going to bring before deciding on what to do for the 2013 season.  It’s hard to read the tea leaves and make the right call, but as Tom Hanks once said in A League of Their Own, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Meet Debut at Remington Park

Tabby Lane finally got a race to fill at Remington this Friday night.  The condition book had two substitute races in it: a $20,000 claiming race and a $10,000 Starter Allowance.  My preference was the Starter.  I really don’t care about the tag, I just thought that the starter might be an easier spot.  $20,000 is a pretty good jump up in class for our girl from where she has been running, but the starter did not fill so straight claimer we go.

The field is only eight, but it is a pretty good quality field and if we wanted to stretch her a bit, we’re going to get our chance on Friday night in race seven.  The race is over the main track and will go a mile and a sixteenth.

1 – Veillit’ (Hartman/Compton): This filly has been claimed out of her last four races all over California.  If she goes here (she’s entered at Zia Park on Saturday).  She’s got some early speed from the inside and last won at Hollywood in June in an $8,000 claiming race.

2 – Miss Afleet Alex (Lozano/Laviolette): As a betting opportunity, I kind of like this horse here.  Her last two starts over the turf were nothing special, but she doesn’t appear to be a turfer anyway.  She won nicely over the dirt at right about this level before getting trounced in a stake at Prairie Meadows and then trying the turf at Remington.  Now she’ll be back on the dirt and back at a level where she appears to fit.  She’ll come off the pace and be dangerous in here I think.

3 – Tez Sivitri (Rhone/Hamilton): Tabby’s stablemate and upset Minnesota Distaff Classic Champion by over 9 lengths, she ran very well over the Remington Park turf last year at this level and higher.  Her season was pretty uneven this season until the huge win in the distaff.  If that was a signal that she’s back to her old form, she’ll be another one flying late and tough in here.

4 – Why Wonder Why (Engel/Berry): Big winner last out in a $5000 Starter in his Remington debut.  Could be a bit over her head in here, but – like most of the starters in here – her Beyers’ fit just fine. She has some early speed and hopefully will challenge the inside horse as well as EZ Time a bit further out.

5 – Going Okie (Pish/Joubert): Won in her last race of last season a notch above here.  Her comebacker, at the same level, was a bit flat but only finished a length back over the turf.  Back to the dirt and drops a rung.  She’s a Remington only horse and had done well with that strategy so far.

6 – Dixieland Baby (Davidson/McNeil): Has only one win in the last year over the lawn at Hoosier but has been competitive on the dirt.  The one win was an allowance win as well.  Her Remington seasonal bow was less than impressive, though she did stalk the leaders for a while before fading so with improved fitness she could be a bit more competitive while dropping one rung in class.

7 – E Z Time (Engle/Quinonez):  A huge winner after a summer break, winning by just under 11 lengths in a $10,000 claiming race without really being asked while posting a career best 81 Beyer.  A repeat of that front running performance here and it’s all over but the shouting.

8 – TABBY LANE (Rhone/Butler)

Tabby has won 3 of her last 4 and 4 of her last 6.  The last couple of races she wasn’t all out and so we know that there is more in the tank.  The question that will be answered in this race, is just how much is left in that tank.  She’ll be off the pace early, we know that – her stalking trip last out notwithstanding.  She should like the added sixteenth as well.  The class factor, though, is going to be where it gets decided.  If she can handle this group is going to come down to how well she can compete against horses that have been racing at $35,000 as opposed to $10,000/$16,000.  There should be some pace and Dean should have her out of trouble, the rest is going to be up to her.

Tabby Disappoints

You should have seen the cathartic (and unpublished) blog post I wrote Saturday after the race. It was not pretty. Then again, neither was Tabby’s fifth place showing at Tampa Bay Downs. Theoretically she was at her level – or what passes for it these days - and it was her second back after a layoff, making her eligible to improve over her seasonal debut. That didn’t happen. If anything she regressed a bit.


While she broke well, she could not get herself into the mix early. I was hoping to see her laying mid-pack down the backside, but she was already out of the running by then. The game plan was not to drop her back but get her a better start than what she had last time. She wanted nothing to do with it. She did manage to get back to the pack through the turn, but when she finally had a hole open up on the rail and Dean asked her, she didn’t go, content to finish fifth, far from being the push button filly she was at Tampa last year. She came back just fine and had no heat or discomfort. She simply didn’t try much.

Though I promised to share everything, there was no need for you to see the diatribe I wrote this weekend. Suffice to say, I was frustrated. I needed to let those emotions projectile out of me. From an owner’s perspective – my partners and I – this was a mess. From the perspective of someone trying to get a business off the ground, it was a disaster. We can talk all we want about doing things the right way, doing what’s right by the horse, etc., but the bottom line is people want to win and when they look for a partnership, they want to go with a winner. Tabby drew a lot of attention last year when she won a race and then finished a solid second but when she dried up, so did the inquiries.

Giving her the time off was the right thing to do. She needed it and to keep running her when she was clearly having a difficult time on the racetrack was to invite more losing and reinforcing that tendency. Her debut was promising with a nice middle move and a mild close. Then she threw in this clunker at the absolute worst time. I was looking to close a new group before the end of February to give us the months of March and April to find us a runner to bring up north with Tabby. I had a lot of maybes in the queue and I think some of the reluctance was to see how Tabby did in her next race. The question in their heads, “Can these guys turn her back into a winner?” We haven’t and she just may have taken the fortunes of the business with her.

Closer

Tabby Lane (Even the Score-Keeley Chay-Rodeo) is about a week away from starting her 2011 campaign.  In the last two weeks she has turned in two more works right on schedule and gradually extending the distance to get her ready for the rigors of racing.

Her last two works were at 5 furlongs.  She wasn't asked for a lot either time but was asked to pick up the pace down the lane and ride out past the finish line.  Both works were timed at 1:03 with the first, on January 19th, over a good strip while the second, on January 27th, was over a fast track.  The clocker stated both works were 'breezing', that is, well within herself, not really racing speed.  As a handicapper I used to give quite a bit of credence to the designations of 'breezing' and her harder working cousin 'handily' until I realized that to some clockers - like our friend at Tampa Bay - all works are 'breezing' and to others, all works are 'handily'.  Bernell Rhone, our trainer, taught me years ago when I got into this business that the time wasn't as important as HOW the horse did her work and how she came back afterward, so that has become my measure of our horse's works. Tabby was within herself for both works and came back fine.  Her first five panel work she did come back winded a bit and wasn't too keen on pushing past the wire.  The work on the 27th was definitely better from that standpoint.  Now the quest is to find her a race.

I think that her ideal distance is between 7 furlongs and a mile.  She's a big mare who needs some time to unwind her stride and get rolling.  Her pedigree doesn't scream stamina, though, so he sweet spot appears to be that mile distance.  Her class level has been a bit more difficult to ascertain.  We claimed her at $10,000 in a race in which she had won.  Then we brought her back in a $16,000 Optional Claiming race, which she also won.  When she placed a very good second behind a track record tying performance in a $25,000 Optional Claiming race we thought we had something special.  That's, of course, when the wheels came off the bus.  She moved north and could not even sniff the winner's circle.  She finished off her season with a flat third in a $10,000 claiming race at Remington Park, a good six lengths off the winner.

Now she's returning from the time away and hasn't exactly been burning up the training track, though she hasn't been awful either.  She proved to us in her last race at Canterbury and again at Remington that she wasn't able to win at $10,000 so the odds are good that she'll come back in lesser company to start the season.  She's going to need to do some convincing to start climbing the ladder again, but it feels good to be back on the track.

Tabs Back in the Work Tabs

We're starting to finally have something to look forward to. Tabby Lane (Even the Score-Keeley Chay-Rodeo) is back in the Rhone barn at Tampa Bay Downs after taking a couple of months of rest and recreation out on the farm in Oklahoma.

For the first few weeks Tabby just galloped herself slowly back into shape a couple of miles at a time. Two weeks ago she headed over to the track with a purpose and broke off for a leisurely three furlong work. Apparently she had no real desire to kick it into gear early but did run with some authority down the lane. She finished it in :38 - nothing to write home about, but certainly nothing to worry about given that it was her first trip back over a track in nearly three months.

The following week she came back again to go four furlongs. Again, nothing too pressing was expected of her. This time she broke off when she was supposed to, loafed a bit for the first half of the work but turned in a nice second half to finish up in :50. Not great, but it did place her 18th out of the 40+ works that day. All in all, not bad for a mare that's working her way back into shape. Up next will be at least two more weeks of galloping and a couple of more works before we try and pick a spot for her return.

It's starting to get exciting again!

Vacation Ends and A New Era Begins

Vacation Ends for Tabby Lane

As I finished digging out from the latest Midwestern snowfall, I gave our trainer, Bernell Rhone, a call to see how Tabby Lane (Even the Score-Keeley Chay-Rodeo) enjoyed her vacation. She was just settling into the barn at Tampa Bay Downs after galloping a bit to stretch her legs. It was her first day back on the track and she is doing pretty well. Good attitude, went well and is eating well. All the key ingredients you want to see in a horse coming back from two months off.

She'll exercise the kinks out and build up her wind over the next 3 - 4 weeks and then she'll start picking them up and laying them down with some purpose to get her speed back. If all goes well we should see her back in action before the end of January. Here's hoping that Tabby has a great run in 2011.

New Focus

Events over the last week have given me the opportunity to turn 100% of my focus into racing and writing. I know change can be a fearful thing, but I choose to look at this as a wonderful opportunity to take some time and work on what I love. I'm hopeful that will lead to more opportunities in racing and also make more a more active blogger and productive writer.

New Claiming Group

This newly found focus has me targeting the formation of the 2011 Claiming Group(s). The parameters look a lot like the Tabby Lane and Fizzy Pop partnerships. I hope that we can be organized, up and running shortly so we can start shopping. We've already got our eyes out, but once the Tampa Bay Downs meet on is underway come December 11, things will start happening in earnest. Please touch base with me if you're interested for more information. The more the merrier and we can split into several groups as necessary.

Of Surface and Distance

Five furlongs over the turf. Of all the races we entered the past 10-days, this is the one that filled. After several attempts of trying to get $10,000 and $16,000 Starter Allowances to fill - at a nice 6 furlongs on the dirt (though 6.5 - 7 would be my preference but beggars can't be choosers), Tabby Lane will be going in a $20,000 Claiming race on Father's Day. That's the eighth at Canterbury Park if you're scoring at home. Even this race wouldn't have had such a nice size field if Bernell Rhone, Miguel Silva and Doug Oliver having two a piece in the field.

Here is how we line up tomorrow:

Rio Brilla (Silva/Rivera) - Has had 2 trips over the Canterbury surface in $7500 Claiming races and wasn't closer than 3rd. Could be asking a lot from this one.

Marsh Marigold (Scherbenske/Martin) - One of three Minn-breds in this open race. Was competitive at this level and surface last summer and coming off of two off the board finishes at Arlington at $25,000.

Katie is Smart (Domenosky/Cardoso) - Lasid off since February, she comes back after racing against slightly higher company in New Mexico. Two straight wins in a return to sprinting was followed up by two subpar efforts before the rest.

Summer Nights (Silva/Stevens) - Seven time winner was the only filly to finish behind Tabby Lane in her Canterbury debut (bless her!). Is three for five lifetime over the turf with on place. Only finishes off the board were at 7.5 furlongs and a mile. A definite threat here cutting back in distance.

Blumin Beauty (Oliver/Eikleberry) - Has had it handed to her in stakes company recently, but a tigress at the $30,000 level. Lone turf effort on her sheet was sub par, but she's won twice over the Canterbury sod.

Lilys Shadow (Rhone/Arterburn) - The "other" Rhone horse, this one has an interesting past. Broke maiden at CBY at first asking, but DQ'd to 2nd. She simply came back and did it again next out at Remington. She followed that with a second and a win in $28500 Allowance races but was flat in a $35,000 Optional Claiming race after which she was laid off for six months. Works don't indicate she's ready, but could be a sleeper later in the meet.

Lil Dish (Oliver/Keith) - A monster winner last out in a $7500 Claiming race after narrowly missing at that level in Canterbury debut, she really steps up here. She's tried higher and won before, but it was many starts back.

TABBY LANE (RHONE/BUTLER)

Prissy Proxy (Reedy/Bell) - This lightly raced and often rested yet speedy filly is your morning line, and probably post time, favorite. Won back to back at Tampa, the first after an eight month layoff at $8,000 Claiming and then a huge jump in a move onto the turf to a $32,000 Optional Claiming. She's going to want to roll from the break, but that's going to be tough from post 9.

I have no idea how to assess Tabby's chances in this one. She needs a race and this was the one we were able to get filled. It's a relatively unfamiliar surface (she had one try on the turf last year where she finished 4th, 2 lengths out on a yielding Meadowlands course) at a distance that's not ideal which isn't really the way you want to look at a race. However all the signs are not bad. She had an excellent work on the 16th (3 furlongs in :35.8). As you can imagine there is speed aplenty in the field with Prissy Proxy, Lil Dish, Summer Nights, Katie is Smart and Rio Brilla all wanting the front end. It's hard to imagine that at least a couple of these aren't going to hook up on the front end. The question is, will there be enough room for Tabby to run them down the lane?

Quiet Time

There has been some reflective time available over the past week or so as I've been traveling again. While reflection has crossed over many topics, the only ones that have any bearing here are the ones that are relevant to the acing operation.

1. Can I Keep Racing at Canterbury? This was a large topic occupying my mind. For the type of horse we like to race - $20,000 Claiming or so - there does not seem to be much opportunity anymore. Races aren't filling and after a couple of shots at a starter allowance not filling, my frustration level started rising even higher. Without help, Canterbury will no longer be competitive for horsemen who want to race year round. To clarify, year round means coming up here for the summer and keep racing either beyond or before. Although it's home, having to compromise too much on conditions (turf instead of dirt, route instead of sprint) in order to even get into a race because of the horse population (size and/or makeup) makes me wonder if we should come back next season. Of course higher purses would produce more opportunity and would draw more horses, but the outlook on that is as bleak as ever.


2. Will I Keep Doing This at All? I love running these partnerships. It's great to get a group of folks together, especially those that have never been able to purchase a horse on their own, get the opportunity to own, visit and race their own horse. I try to keep it affordable, but with the economy, new owners are hard to come by as disposable income is scarce. The lower the entry point the better, but with lower entry points you need more partners ("How can we compete at such low prices? VOLUME!") and the numbers just are not there. Additionally when you start selling in 1 and 2% increments your costs increase. Accountants charge more for K-1s, communication pieces are more difficult and consensus is even harder to build.


3. Am I Just Fried with Racing? This was was a fleeting thought. The answer was emphatically "NO!" I can't imagine my life without racing in it. This was just silly!


4. Is the Monmouth Experiment a Good One? On the surface it seems great. Handle and attendance are both up and field sizes are nice and large. All of this is good news. What it signifies for the rest of the industry, though, is probably not as great. The corollary to Monmouth's success is the failure of the year round racing model we see today across America. In order for nationwide racing to duplicate Monmouth's success, dates need to shrink and purses need to go up. More consolidation would need to take place and the mid-range racetracks are probably the the targets to go. Arlington Park summers would dominate Chicago, but could (should?) Hawthorne survive? Does the upper Midwest need a Canterbury Park and a Prairie Meadows (Prairie doesn't have a turf track, but it does have slot fueled purses)? Does Kentucky need anything besides Churchill and Keeneland? Would California care if Hollywood folds? It becomes a whole new - yet old school - landscape for racing in America.

In proofing this before hitting 'publish' it certainly seems pretty negative. I don't view it as such. The sport can survive but it faces some hard choices - much as I do with the racing stable. While I was hoping at some point to make a living running the partnerships and talking and writing about racing, it obviously isn't feasible and will probably live on in my life as a nice sidelight. Racing may love the year round model, but it doesn't appear that is feasible either. Consolidation may be necessary - winter racing in Texas, Louisiana and Florida and spring summer and fall racing elsewhere. The economy has resulted in the breeding of fewer horses and that could help to kill off the weak racetracks and strengthen the hand of the stronger. It could be the painful rebirth of racing in America and, as with any birth, the promise of a brighter future beckons.

Flat As A Pancake

(photo credit: Leslie Morley)


Tabby Lane finished her Canterbury debut up the track today. She finished 5th out of 6 runners. There is no way I would have thought she would have finished that far out of the money, but she did. I don't know where we'll go next, but I can guarantee you that it won't be a Stakes race.

She broke a little off and was pushed to the outside for several strides and started the trip down the backside in last. That's about where she stayed around the racetrack. She closed up a bit and then dropped back and couldn't even catch the one horse in the race I thought didn't belong, Lady Countdown. She picked up a "thanks for playing our game" check for $210. Kind of like a year's supply of Turtle Wax.

Earlier in the month I had a beef with the Prairie Meadows chart writer who claimed that Tabby was "no factor". She wasn't, but she was also carried 10 wide through most of the turn - a bit of information that I thought was more pertinent to a future handicapper than no factor. I was less than impressed with the chart. Different race, same comment and this time, our Canterbury writer was right on the money. No excuses, simply "no factor".

We had a great turnout. Half the partners were there and we had a great time with the earlier races with Diane, Joe, Stephanie, Cody and Alicia. We picked up Chris with some friends in the paddock before the race so we had a nice contingent out there. My wife and I even got to finally meet up with longtime Internet buddy, horse lover, stellar Canterbury employee and photographer extraordinaire (see above!) Leslie Morley. I feel badly for the partners that we didn't do better, however my hope is that they enjoyed the experience.

It was also my first outing to Canterbury this year and it was great to see old friends and some of the best track personnel in the business - from ticket punchers to F&B servers to Media Relations guru Jeff Maday to track president Randy Sampson (how many other track presidents walk the physical plant on race days?). The weather was very sketchy early and probably contributed to the low turnout for a Saturday afternoon. In fact, the rain didn't stop falling until about an hour before first post. Anyone who had thoughts of coming out to the track probably had second thoughts. By the time the weather cleared up for good the race day was in gear. None of that kept the folks that did come out from having a great time. Every stretch run was still accompanied with cheering and yelling and the physical plant was emptied out to the apron for every race. Drawings for military personnel; t-shirt giveaways; Canterbury bingo and the other promotions helped keep the day moving between races and Kevin Gorg was once again a great paddock host. Despite the spate of scratches and short fields, patrons enjoyed a great day.

While it was nice to be back, it's nicer to be competitive. We'll let Tabby unwind a bit after this race and take stock of her and see what the next move will be. Hopefully she came back clean and we can chalk it up to one of those days and survive to fight another day.

Tabby Lane Makes Canterbury Debut

I think I just said this about Diplo not too long ago, but it certainly fits in this case with Tabby Lane: We may not be at do or die yet, but we can see it from here! A little less drastic from Tabby’s point of view – we know she’s good but our hope is, of course, that we got a steal at $10,000. I think we’d all agree that we have - just how much of a steal remains to be seen. We are hoping that we have a horse that can compete at the Stakes level here at Canterbury, but she’s going to have to prove that she can this weekend.

This afternoon she’ll be racing in the featured 7th race, a $21,000 Allowance race going six furlongs over the main track. Dean Butler is once again riding her and she’s facing five other fillies and mares over what promises to be a fast track. Here’s how they stack up:

1. Summer Nights (Silva/Stevens) – The ‘star’ of Miguel Silva’s barn, this lady was left at his doorstep, so to speak, when the old owner could no longer carry the bills. She moved to the turf where she’s been outstanding, moving from $3,000 claiming company to winning a $13,000 allowance last out. She’s going to want the lead and reverts to the main track for her Canterbury debut.

2. Trust N Vegas (Rhone/Rivera II) - The ‘other’ Rhone horse in the race (or is that us!). This lass would prefer to go a bit longer, but she’s classy enough to be there at the end. An interesting angle is that we decided to pass on Trust N Vegas and ended up with Tabby instead.

3. Miss Missile (Smith/Eikleberry) – Another speedster, this gal won Fonner Park and Delta Downs Stakes as a four year old and has earned over $400,000 in her career. Her five year old debut was a shaky 4th of 5 in a Lone Star allowance and then drilled by 19 in a Fonner stakes race last out. She’ll want the lead as well. While she carried her speed a little further last out, neither 2010 starts have been very impressive. Makes you wonder about the six month layoff at the end of last year – especially after finishing the season six for eight and winning two stakes in a row. Classy mare, though.

4. Thelifeoftheparty (Rarick/Rivera) – This lady is two for two at Canterbury – both last season and both at this distance over the main track. She’s started twice since a brief freshener and both were solid efforts in the Princess of Palms Stakes and an $30,000 Optional Claimer at Turf Paradise. She’ll try and settle off the pace much like Tabby will and will certainly be a factor at the end.

5. Lady Countdown (Smith/Goodwin) – The ‘other’ Smith horse (Smith v. Rhone!). Another filly who’s going to want the front – thank goodness. She should clear out on the inside of us and let Dean measure himself against Thelifeoftheparty. She looks to be a cut below this group of fillies and mare.

6. TABBY LANE (RHONE/BUTLER)

Tabby certainly has an excise from her last race if anyone saw it. She broke a bit slower than normal, found herself in the muck near the rail, couldn’t get out of it and by the time she moved to the outside she was carried ten wide into the stretch. The chart writer said ‘no factor’, but that hardly takes into account the train wreck of her trip.

This is a nice group she’s in against. Her better recent Beyers puts her in with all in here except maybe Trust N Vegas. TNV hasn’t gone less than 7 furlongs in a long while, however, though the race does seem to be shaping up really well for her. Speaking of the race set up, Summer Knights, Miss Missile and Lady Countdown should all get out quickly and vie for the lead. Tabby and Thelifeoftheparty should be settled in behind these while Trust N Vegas should be the early trailer, though I don’t see her being too far off the pace either. As the group turns for home is when the race will really take shape. We’ll see then how sturdy the front runners are going to be and just how much room Trust N Vegas needs in order to close to the front. Dean should have Tabby in a good spot as they straighten out for home and the question will then be does she have the speed left to overtake the leaders and hold off her stablemate when he pushes her button.

Running Wide on the Prairie

As race day moves along I get more and more nervous. Before I get to he track I go through bouts of the jitters - they kind of come and go. As post time gets closer it gets steadier until, just before the gates spring open, I'm as tight as a drum. as odd as it sounds, I enjoy the nervousness to a degree. The anticipation of post time is like being a kid on Christmas Day waiting to see what Santa brought you. Last night...Santa brought us coal.

Tabby Lane shipped down to Prairie Meadows without incident in the morning. She handled the trip down like she handles most things - calmly and relaxed. She looked great in the paddock as well, high strung is one thing our gal is not.

One troubling aspect throughout the card last night was the lack of movement along the rail. I don't know if Calvin Borel could have made a move on the inside last night. The only horse to win from the inside was in the first race and that was a route. The Quinella Queen, her king, my wife and I spent the evening handicapping the races in the clubhouse. Not only was the rail dead tonight, the observed, but it seemed like the one post is always a hindrance at Prairie. Great, I thought, Tabby's breaking from the inside - it was the first indication that things may be heading south.

As the fillies and mares warmed up, Bernell Rhone mentioned that we may have just enough speed to get in trouble. In other words, we'll break into the middle of the pack and get trapped down along the inside. About three strides out of the gate, we knew that wasn't a concern.

Tabby didn't break sharply and trailed the field early. Soon after clearing the turn and moving down the backstretch, jockey Glenn Murphy slid her off the inside and into position behind the group and into the five path, only about two lengths off the lead. Setting up his run into the turn, Murphy elected to stay away from the dead rail and angled Tabby even more to the outside where she lost about another length on the lead moving out another couple of paths entering the turn. By full bend she was a length and a half behind the pack and seemed to be gaining a bit on the field. However, by the time they straightened out for the drive she was out close to 10 paths from the rail and we knew it was all over but the shouting - and the shouting wasn't from us. She passed a couple of tiring horses and as a bitter epitaph on the race the chart writer wrote simply "Tabby Lane was no factor".

It's hard to fault Murphy for the ride. Granted, it wasn't a very patient ride as the move to the far outside before entering the turn seemed to be a bit knee jerky instead of waiting to see if something opened up a little further along in the race, but he may have felt that he had plenty of horse under him at that point and that she could sustain a bid. Also as he took her wide, no one else wanted to see if there was an opening as well and he kept having to slide further and further outside to get some clear sailing. By the time they straightened out, she was baked.

As I mentioned yesterday, while there was a lot to like about her going into the race, there were definitely some red flags. I don't know how many of those red flags were a part of getting her beat so soundly, but adding in a tough rail when you're breaking from the one spot certainly didn't help her cause either. I guess the two things I feel mostly badly about is how much money she took down with her as the 3-5 favorite and the disappointment I know the partners must feel. We just need to shake it off, get her home and ready for what comes next. Bernell drove home after the races last night, so I won't touch base with him until later in the day or tomorrow but we'll have some options.

The important thing now is to see how she comes back, though she looked pretty solid coming back after the race. You can't win every race and maybe this was her clunker - it happens. Two years ago Fizzy Pop put in a clunker on his first trip north as well and came back to win next out. Hopefully history will be able to repeat itself.

Tabby Lane v. Five at Prairie Meadows Tonight

Tabby Lane goes postward as the 8-5 morning line favorite tonight at Prairies Meadows in a $25,000 Optional Claiming race. She qualifies under the non-winners of two races other than maiden or claiming condition, so she won’t be wearing a tag tonight. There is a lot to like about Tabby tonight. Here is a breakdown of the short six horse field.

1. TABBY LANE

2. Wine Diva – loads of back class, but hasn’t won a race since at least early 2007. The majority of her lifetime starts have been on the turf and there are plenty of gaps in her past performances. Last out she was beaten 11 in a $75,000 Optional Claimer at Oaklawn. Her best Beyers put her over anyone in this group, but her last race wasn’t encouraging.

3. Beyond the Reach – A star at Prairie Meadows in ’09 (she won the Donna Read Stakes), her last two efforts of the year over synthetic were abysmal. First race of ’10 may be a bit too tough for her right now.

4. Judy’s Quest – Second off the claim for owner/trainer Tammy Domenosky. Her first effort was a good third place finish after a slow start over the turf at Hawthorne. She gets a little more distance this trip - she ran out of room closing in her last over 5.5 furlongs - and reverts back to dirt.

5. Princess Bianconi – Her efforts so far in ’10 have been steady middle of the pack finishes, even when dropping to $25,000 Claiming last out at Oaklawn. Though she hasn’t hit the board yet this year, she still could be dangerous.

6. Sweet Topper – the 3-year old, taking on her elders for the first time, may find herself in over her head here. Her career best Beyer is almost 20 points lower than every other horse in the race and her last race in February was a pasting in the Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise.

So what’s to like about Tabby Lane tonight? She’s clearly a horse on the improve. As she’s moved up the ladder her speed figures have improved and she’s been able to win or finish second. In her last she lost to Pyrite Gem who tied the track record in the process. Pyrite Gem came back on Derby Day and won the $50,000 Angenora Stakes at Thistledown, flattering our girl’s second place finish. In addition, the third place finisher in that Tampa $32,000 Optional Claiming Race, Judy Patootie, came back and won two weeks later in a $12,500 Starter Allowance at Tampa Bay Downs. All of these point to our girl having a strong result.

Yet…there are worries. With the exception of Sweet Topper, every filly and mare in the race has something that you can hang your hat on. Tabby also has some negatives as well: she’s shipping in the morning of the race; new jockey (Dean Butler has a prior commitment and isn't available); new racetrack; unfamiliar routine - all things that give me a bit of heartburn and are causes for concern. Thankfully Bernell is up and will be there to get her saddled. Her jock for the race, Glenn Murphy, appears to be solid and is winning at a 22% clip at PM so far this year. Still, I am concerned.

As I write this I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of owners that can boast about how there is no way their horse can lose and reek of brash confidence. While I am certain that Tabby can win, I am also mindful of all the ways we can lose. Maybe it's my own superstitious nature at work. I know she's good. I know she's capable. I just don't want to be the one to jinx her!

I went down to Canterbury to see her yesterday morning and she looked great. She had gone over to the starting gate to get a little refresher and was on the walker when I got there. I was telling my wife that I got this all encompassing need to go see her this morning. I'm not sure why, but a voice inside of me was telling me to get off my ass and go down there, so I did. After going I'm STILL not sure why I had to get down there so badly, but it was nice to see Bernell again after the winter as well as Dean and Leanne Butler. Dean has a prior commitment and was hoping that they would bring the race back Saturday, but that wasn't meant to be. I feel badly that he's not on her tonight, but as one of our partners pointed out: the last three times Tabby has had a rider change she's won. Hopefully that means back to back victories are on the horizon since when she comes back to Canterbury she'll be under Dean once again.

I keep visualizing her in the stretch, extending her lead and crossing the wire first – as if willing it can make it so. She has a strong team behind her that has her prepped as well as she can be. If it were up to the collective excitement and support of her owners, she’d be a winner already but now it’s time to run the race.

For an up-close and personal look at our lady, please visit friend and outstanding blogger Teresa Genaro's Brooklyn Backstretch piece on her today!

Welcome "One For Zetta"

We'd like to welcome to the family "One For Zetta" an unraced three-year old Minnesota bred filly out of Zach's World (Distinctive Pro) by Ballado Chieftan. We put together a small group that owns half of "Zetta" and she will be under the guidance of trainer Chris Riddle. She's a smart, lovely chestnut that is getting back to work and looking to debut at Canterbury Park this summer.

Thanks to partner Shelly for the above photo which she had taken when visiting Zetta last week.

Best of luck to all the partners. If you're looking to get involved, there is the possibility that we can pick up a bit more of her, so let me know as soon as you can!

For Love Or/And Money?

There is an interesting dilemma we're facing as a group heading into Tabby Lane's next spot. She handle a group of $16,000 Optional Claimers with energy to spare a little more than a week or so ago and now we need to look for her next spot. There is not going to be an open allowance at Tampa in the near future and we don't know if our gal is stakes quality yet. I have no illusions that she is graded stakes quality, but perhaps she's a competitor for the Hoist Her Flag Stakes or the filly & mare Claiming Crown race. Perhaps not. That's the nature of the game, right?

So the choice becomes where do we place her? Do we risk putting a tag on her and losing her? If she does get claimed at $25,000 or $32,000 six weeks after we paid $10,000 for her, is that such a bad thing? If we find an Optional Claiming race (next level up is $32,000) do we 'protect' her or slap the tag on her and try and 'save' the condition for Canterbury where claiming prices don't get quite that high? An awful lot of interesting questions to be answered in the next week or so.

Running a partnership is an interesting balancing act between fun and profit. In this business it's tough to turn a dollar. You don't get into it to make a killing and you hope that you've done a nice enough job with your partners so they know how hard it can be. You want them to have fun, enjoy watching their horse race and hopefully get a photo or two. When you have a partner like we do who went ahead and had these shirts made (the reverse says "Tabby Lane" across the shoulders and a large number 2 as she was the 2 horse in the race) it is almost the best feeling

you can have as a managing partner. Most of my partners are Minnesota based and how can you deny that this summer is going to be a fun one with folks that go to these lengths for the group?! Tabby should be very, very competitive up here. (Thanks to Annie, bartender at Old Chicago Uptown in Minneapolis for being my model and to partner Shelly for having them put together)

All that taken into consideration, can you pass up the opportunity to triple everyone's initial investment? As we all know, there is always another horse somewhere. When you slap the tag on a horse you always run the risk of selling off the next Lava Man at a bargain price. But what are the odds of that actually happening to you? Let's say we put a tag on Tabby and she runs, wins and gets claimed at $32,000 the group collects checks for $44,000. Again, we claimed her at $10,000 and she's already won once and picked up a $13,000 check. Let's not kid ourselves, for folks that bought a 5% share in her for $500 plus expenses, this is a real return on your investment! But is it short sighted?

Let's say there is no tag on her and she wins. What is the limit then? She's surely a Hoist Her Flag contender at that point. The winner's share of that Canterbury stake is $21,000. What if she is Claiming Crown material? The winner's share there is over $40,000. The summer long money dwarfs the six week money.The again...maybe she doesn't win at $32,000 and gets claimed. We sold her high. Can you go wrong with that? Maybe no one wants her that high and it doesn't matter? Maybe we have her covered and she doesn't win and someone wanted her? Did we just end up taking a cut in pay when we need to drop her into a $25,000 straight claiming race?

There are a lot of questions to answer and I've polled our group for their input. Our trainer, Bernell Rhone, will have a say in what we do as well. Really, while interesting, this is hardly a bad problem to have and I'm grateful for the opportunity to having to make this decision.

You'll know which way we went when you see her next entry!

Tabby Lane: Tampa Bay 6th 3-13

Here is how Tabby Lane’s race is shaping up for this afternoon:

1 Venado (Kimmel – Allen, Jr.) – Coming in off a MSW win here at Tampa last out. It was a romp, but will need to pick up the pace against these.

2 TABBY LANE (Rhone – Butler)

3 Wedding Fever (Brandebourger – Rodriguez) – Still a maiden and lost to VENADO by 7 lengths last out.

4 Sticky Wicket (Lerman – Gonzalez) – Won last out at $16,000 after a brief winter respite. May ned more room than 6 furlongs, but a late in the race force.

5 Flurtini (Ness – Centeno) – Two close seconds in $20,000+ claiming races. In for the tag here at $16,000 and is the rightful morning line favorite. 0 – 11 last 2 years, however.

6 Pyriteville (Feliciano M. – Feliciano R.) - Steady as a rock at $12,500. This step up may be a bit too big. Front running speed horse.

7 Snow Down (Botty – Quinones) – Another that likes to get out in front. Second back after a layoff and dropping in from $25,000. May be a notch below.

8 Cats Zip (Ohilipian – Leyva) – Reeled off two well spaced wins at Calder vs better. Faltered badly after layoff last out, but against $50,000 claimers. Still registered a 66 Beyer. When she’s won, she’s been on the engine and she’ll have company there today.

9 Cherry On the Top (Cibelli – Lezcano) – Broke maiden here in a MSW then was routed on the turf in a Gulfstream allowance. Best Beyers on the grass. Picks up Lezcano. Another that likes to gun to the lead.

10 Extra Fuse (Lockhart – Lloyd) – A confirmed closer, she ran out of room last out at $16,000 and lessens by a furlong today. Still, with a bit of early speed in here six furlongs could be enough.

11 Sweet Apple Betty (Scace – Cotto) – Comes in riding a three race winning streak and will want to go wire to wire. Her wins have been against lesser, but she’s done it easily. This one will be tough for her.

12 Red Kettle (Cronk – Garcia) – Broke her maiden by 12 ½ in a low level maiden claimer in DE. Claimed from Pletcher, new barn ran her back in two allowances over her head.

The early pace is going to be quick and hopefully Tabby can stalk right behind that group. She likes to be near the front end, but if she can rate she should be in good position to pounce entering the lane. If that early speed drags her along too quickly, she could get overwhelmed in the stretch by some of the closers like Sticky Wicket or Extra Fuse. In the past we’ve seen tracks really pave the asphalt on big race days so it’ll be interesting to see how the TBD strip is playing over the first few races. I think the key, even over a speed favoring track, will be Tabby’s ability to relax and rate. One or two speed horses in the field and maybe one could carry it all the way, but with so many, it’s going to be necessary to let them burn each other a bit and pick up the pieces.

Good luck to all her partners and come home swiftly and safely!

Tonight's Show: Diplo, Tabby and How Much is Too Much

I'll be kicking off the weekend tonight on my Blog Talk Radio show at 9 PM Central Time: Diplo is scheduled to make his third start in 21 days on Friday and Tabby Lane is entered in her first race for us on Saturday on Tampa Bay Derby Day. I'll share some brief previews of their respective races, how we came to claim Tabby Lane and I'll touch base on just how often should a thoroughbred racehorse race.

Any thoughts on that last subject? Leave me a comment, drop me a line (ted@grevelisracing.com) or listen to the Show live this evening. It's also available for download through iTunes shortly after the conclusion of the half hour.

A Little More Than Two Months

It seems like such a short period of time but when I look out of the window at the piles of snow still out there and a low temperature this morning of 1, opening day at Canterbury Park seems like a very long time from now.

Since I started running these partnerships the same thing has happened every year like clockwork: we get a group together early, try to get one more going before the meet but just can't get it together and then, after the first week of racing, the e-mails and phone calls come asking if we are going to be starting another group for the season! I'm trying really hard this year to try and nip this one in the bud.

I rarely ever do a solicitation blog. That's not what this is all about. This is my forum to share with folks what it's like trying to get this thing off the ground and share our experiences as we campaign our runners. Last year it was all about Fizzy Pop, I Am Woman and the star crossed Miss Belle Express. This year we have our recent claim Tabby Lane and our small share in Diplo. Now that we're geared up, we should be showing more action here on the blog as well.

But back to my annual dilemma.

We have an opportunity for a Minnesota bred three year old filly that will very likely be a Canterbury only horse - of course you never know until you race 'em. She promises to be an 'action' type horse that should be able to entertain a group all summer long with hopefully a picture or two along the way. The entry point should be low, but the time to get her into real training is now. She'll need several weeks just to get her wind into her before she starts any speed training and have any hope of being ready for the beginning of the meet. Please drop me a line at ted@grevelisracing.com or click on the winner's circle photo above right to visit the website to get more information.

What I'm trying to say is the time to get ready for the summer is now, not May 1st!

Welcome Tabby Lane

The first group of 2010 is in action thanks to the claim of Tabby Lane (Even the Score - Keeley Chay - Rodeo), seen above winning the $10,000 claiming race we got her out of on Thursday at Tampa Bay Downs.

(note: I already asked fellow Blogger Teresa Genaro if she'll qualify for a kitty bet. If you don;t know what I'm talking about, check out her Brooklyn Backstretch blog and find out!)

She was an interesting choice. Though at four years old and 12 races under her belt, pedigree probably doesn't matter much, if you look back there are some very interesting names in her past: Rahy, Now Your Teapottin, Unbridled's Song, Unbridled, Mr. Prospector, Raise a Native and even Alydar, Round Table and Secretariat. That's not what instigated the claim, however interesting though the after the fact discovery may be. When trainer Bernell Rhone called me to see if I was interested, I was intrigued by her last few starts and the company she kept earlier in her career.

A Kentucky bred, she none the less started her career in Florida at Gulfstream after being purchased for $30,000 as a yearling. She was jostled a bit in that first start as she gained experience while finishing a distant 5th in a $50,000 Maiden Claiming race. She bounced back in her next start and just couldn't last at the same level missing just by a neck. Then came a change in venue as she headed north of the border where she ran three times at Woodbine: twice with Maiden Special Weights and then in a Maiden $32,000 finishing in the money twice. The lone disappointment came when she tried to go two turns.

After the Canada experience came a change in barn as well as a change in venue. She left the stable of Gregory DeGannes and moved to the stable of Jason Servis as well as to New Jersey where, in her first effort for the new barn, she finished a game 2nd in a Maiden $50,000. That performance encouraged Servis to enter her next out in a Maiden Special back at Monmouth where she finished 4th over a muddy track. Racing moved to the Meadowlands and after being dropped through a $20,000 Maiden Claiming and then into a $10,000 Maiden Claiming, she broke her maiden in a romp, winning by 7 over a sloppy surface and earning a career best 77 Beyer in the process.

Taking on winners for the first time she was asked to go a mile and try the soft turf course for the first time. She steadily made up ground throughout the race, but finished 4th, though only beaten by 2 lengths in the $20,000 claiming race.

In January she moved south to Tampa and dropped in to take on $16,000 claiming horses that had never won two races other than maiden. She won drawing off back at six furlongs. She added a half furlong for her race on Thursday but was dropping into a $10,000 claiming race for horses that had never won three races other than maiden. This raised a bit of a red flag for me. Why in the world would you take a filly that romped over $16,000 claimers and drop her in with a $10,000 group unless she was hurting?

There were two possible explanations: Servis and the owners were looking to cut bait with a horse they didn't think could make it back up north at the level they wanted to race at or sometimes a NW3 at a lower level is tougher than a NW2 at a higher level. Both explanations were possible, the proof would be in the race and her walk over to the paddock.

As I was driving through Iowa, Bernell called and said she looked good on the walk over and that she appeared to be clean. They had front wraps on her which can sometimes be used to discourage a claim. Sometimes it indicates that there is a problem. Her action was good and her overall appearance was excellent so we forged ahead. She didn't race with the front wraps and won like the 1-5 shot that she was. While we may have lost the NW3 condition, we were very encouraged with the way she won with ease and appeared to come back from the race.

She'll have a few days rest and relaxation and then she'll get the once over to see how she's recovered. We look to have her back in a race in March. It sure is nice to be back!

Say Hello to My Little Friend

This young fellow is Diplo. He is a California bred gelded son of Pleasant Tap out of the Polish Numbers mare Blackjack Angel. He will be training and racing in Southern California in the Doug O'Neill barn. Some friends and I kicked in to buy a small (10%) part of him. In fact, technically this isn't even a GRS purchase, just four dopes buying a piece of a racehorse.

In his very short career, Diplo has a record of 3 starts with a second and a third and just a shade under $7,000 in earnings. He has bounced around a bit from barn to barn and hopefully with some time off - he has been turned out since October - and the steady hand of O'Neill at the helm, he can strut some stuff for us. Time will tell. He's still a young one and has some learning to do - hopefully it won't be too big a curve! I'll keep you all posted.